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Robert Mukondiwa

You know him.

Fresh out of the bliss (or are they shackles) of marriage, former first lady Grace Mugabe’s son Russell by her earlier marriage to Stanley Goreraza is definitely one certain eligible bachelor.

He parties like the Great Gatsby and who would not want to be next to him when he rolls into Genius Kadungure’s celebrated Club Sankayi and literally splashing expensive champagne onto his hands as he raises a middle finger to life and its many worries.

His legendary importation of a number of Roll’s Royce’s and Brabus beastly motor vehicles helped reinforce his status as a party animal and socialite even in the dying embers of his day as the first stepson.

The stories resonated here and across the Limpopo!

Yet for all the pomp and fanfare, across the Limpopo, his mother may have to send yet another urgent cable to try and cool down the pain and emotion of a lady who says she has a daughter by Russell and the retired stepson is neglecting the child although he is willing to undergo DNA testing.

Dineo Kekana, a South African national, claims to have conceived after being brought to a luxury pad in Harare where a great time of bliss brought the beautiful little girl into this world before the proverbial type of dung hit the fan when the child was born.

Russell has apparently failed or negated his duty to look after the fruit of his loins and Dineo is struggling with what should be a bundle of joy.

“I got pregnant with Russell Goreraza’s child.  We started seeing each other in December of 2016, I fell pregnant in July last year (2017). He knew from the very first time I found out I had conceived, he said he’d be part of our lives and support me but his behaviour soon started to change,” lamented Dineo.

“Months have now passed whenever I ask for his help he keeps giving me excuses. He then told me in the later stage (of the pregnancy) that if I decided to keep the baby he’ll run off since he is not a South African citizen it isn’t going to affect him at all. I couldn’t speak out about my problem or get any help from anyone before because his family was still in power and they also had a huge influence here in South Africa. If I took him to court my case would just disappear like Gabriella Engels case.”

Now the charmer is allegedly a fugitive from her hands which he previously used to cuddle in; “I still can’t get hold of him now because he’s fled South Africa: he is back home in Zimbabwe. I’ve tried to speak to him on several occasions about everything including getting DNA tests done he has completely chosen to avoid me.

‘‘I even went as far as sending my parents on my behalf and getting an attorney to contact him, he refuses to respond to them and declines their phone calls.”

DINEO

She isn’t here with sour grapes, she assures; “My aim isn’t to expose him or embarrass him but I’m disgusted with him and his actions. He is really disrespectful and thinks he can get away with anything. Why did he decide to have sex and can’t own up to his slip up, without sperm a woman can’t get pregnant.

“What pains me is that I know he is getting money from his mother, whom I know is a kind loving person who would not want her grandchild to suffer but he is not passing that money onto me to fend for the child,” said the bombshell from Zimbabwe’s back garden.

She had expected that the party animal at least release $USD500 every month for the child’s upkeep (far less than his champagne spill) but he has since stopped taking her calls and the relationship has taken on a mean face. She has made spirited efforts to get in touch with gogo Grace to perhaps have her knock sense into her child; something she is confident Grace would do.

Not everything is not rosy though. Apparently many of the friends that Russell parties with as he buys expensive alcohol surreptitiously and behind his back make contributions to help her buy basics like disposable napkins and things that baby needs to make her life comfortable.

“They help out because they know this is his child, that he is not taking care of his child and that he is instead spending money on partying.”

But Russell has his own story. The legendary words of Michael Jackson in his 1981 hit single off the Thriller album come to mind when in the song he said “Billie Jean is not my lover, she’s just a girl who claims that I am the one. But the kid is not my son . . . ” or in this case daughter!

DINEO AND CHILD

The only other difference is, it is highly likely Russell may be accused of being slippery by Dineo, but it’s unlikely he can moonwalk like Michael.

He denies paternity and to his credit, says he and his attorney tried getting a DNA test undertaken to ascertain paternity of the child after which he would presumably own up and then they would negotiate on how much needed to be parted with by him.

While he was coy on talking much with attorney related references, he says the beauty was a no show when they were supposed to collect the DNA test results. He thinks that is evidence she is being shady.

Dineo alleges that instead Russell and his attorney had pitched up way earlier and had been disallowed from collecting the results in Dineo’s absence. She suspects he intended to drop many-a-mickle to make a muckle and ensure that he tinkered with the results had they pointed towards his being the paternal parent.

It is a messy affair. Dineo had even wanted to drop the issue fearing for her life. But Russell is no such man, say others close to him.

But she is in emotional pain.

“How do you find it acceptable to walk away from a woman carrying your child? I’m only 22 years old and still at school I can’t take care of the baby on my own and I (was) having complications with my pregnancy due to stress. Ever since we’ve being seeing each other since late 2016 we’ve not used a condom ever! Not even once!! . . . Why then now does he get me pregnant and think it’s all on me? How did he come to the conclusion that it’s my responsibility alone?”

He may come across like a spoilt little brute, but he has a heart of gold and indeed if they can convene on DNA testing, the end result will be an amicable resolution.

“Russell’s mother would want to see peaceful resolutions to her children’s affairs and sadly she is out of the country. Certainly she would quell this fire. Russell himself is quite a warm gentleman and not what the media would portray him as being either,” a gentleman close to First Pensioner President Robert Mugabe’s family said.

Efforts to get in touch with the former first lady, who is out of the country currently hit a snag.

Do you think Russell should help out with the child until paternity is proven or otherwise, or should he sit by the terraces until a DNA proves he is the father or otherwise? Should the former first lady weigh in for the sake of her family?

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